this is the last chapter of this short fic! hope you all enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it! thank you for reading, voting, and commenting!
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Josie smoothed down the front of her dress, the floral maroon print one she admired as she fixed the slit on the skirt. It was a happy occasion and despite the weight on her chest, Josie was determined to enjoy it. So with her heels strapped and her hand grabbing her purse, she left her bedroom and went downstairs, heels clicking against the stairs as she tried to listen for Luke. Her eyebrows furrowed when she looked out the window in the living room, letting out a breath. His car wasn't in the driveway. He'd already left.
Which was fine, Josie figured. Calum was picking her up anyway. Josie sighed once again. And so the silence from her brother continued.
When Calum pulled up in front of the house, Josie locked the door behind her and slid into the passenger seat, feeling some relief as Calum leaned over and greeted her with a kiss. His thumb brushed against her chin as he lightly cupped her face, brown eyes light as he said, "You look beautiful."
Her cheeks warmed as she settled in her seat, eyeing the black suit he was wearing. "So do you," she responded with a cheeky wink, earning a laugh from Calum as he began driving.
They chatted comfortably as Calum drove them downtown where the party was. It had been a while since Luke found out about everything, but that didn't overshadow the excitement of Michael proposing to Crystal. He'd been planning it for a while, and her two friends' happiness was a welcome focus that helped Josie ignore the fallout her own love life had brought. She spent the days listening to her brother's footsteps around the house if the two of them happened to be home at the same time, and every time Josie would think Luke was about to come to her, to finally talk, she'd be sourly mistaken as he continued to do his own thing.
Luke's lack of communication bled into his act of sometimes spending the night at Sierra's place, leaving Josie to either spend the night alone in the house or spend it at Calum's. Every day of silence from him gave her more of an initiative to find a place of her own. That had been the plan from the start, hadn't it? Crash with Luke for a while as she searched for an apartment of her own. So she had started looking; asking her coworkers if they knew of any apartments for rent, searching some up whenever she could. There were a few potential prospects, but Josie hated that even just the thought of moving out of the house—Luke's house—had her stomach twisting uncomfortably. She didn't want to move out, honestly. At the very least, have the memory of her moving out of Luke's place be sadder than it already was.
Josie bit her lower lip. When had she started thinking of it as Luke's place instead of home?
They arrived to the destination about forty-five minutes later, a restaurant right by the beach, and Michael and Crystal had rented out the roof portion for their engagement party. It was beautifully decorated, no doubt Crystal's doing, with lights strung up above their heads and floral vines wrapped around the railings. The sun was going to set soon, and the air was filled with the salty scent of the sea, the sound of waves crashing against the shore forming a symphony, almost, with the music playing.
There were rectangle tables, seating ten, scattered around purposefully, leaving enough space for a dancefloor, all around with beautiful floral center pieces. A bar was set up, as well as a table filled with dessert foods, including the engagement cake, and a lettered banner spelling out the couple's names hung behind it. The colors of everything were a pretty combination of white and lilac, and the lights provided for a soft glow throughout the rooftop.
As soon as she stepped onto the roof, Calum's fingers laced with hers, Josie's eyes somehow managed to find her brother. Luke stood next to Sierra, chatting with some of Crystal's friends Josie had met in passing, and Josie's breath stilled when Luke's blue eyes met hers. He was on the other side of the roof, but Josie still caught the way his smile froze on his face before faltering a bit, the lightness of his eyes diminishing as he observed her and Calum. And then, just as quickly, he looked away, and Josie's grip on Calum's hand tightened along with the fist around her heart.
How long was this going to go on?
Josie looked away just in time to see Calum glance at her, a concerned glaze in his eyes as he briefly followed her gaze to see where Luke stood. Calum squeezed her hand in return and Josie looked up at him, returning his gaze with a smile. It was easy to smile around him. Nodding his head, Calum said, "Come on—let's go see Mike and Crystal."
She nodded, allowing Calum to guide her to where their friends were standing. The two of them were glowing, which was the first thing Josie noticed as they approached them. There was such a tangible happiness engulfing the engaged couple, and it only brought the smile to Josie's face, allowing her to forget whatever weighed heavily on her head and heart.
For the next hour or so, Josie and Calum stayed side by side, chatting with their friends as well as Michael and Crystal's families. Josie surprised herself by focusing on having a good time rather than letting her gaze wander over to wherever Luke stood, painfully aware of her brother keeping his distance from her. If the others noticed, they didn't comment on it, knowing full well what had gone down. Still, Josie felt guilty. Their best friend was engaged and Calum and Luke couldn't rejoice in it without being twenty feet apart or more. Josie would often glance over at Calum, trying to gauge his reaction.
But her boyfriend was more or less an expert in schooling his expressions, not even letting Josie know what he was thinking or feeling with Luke being right there but not speaking to either of them. God, Josie hated this.
At one point, she pulled away from the group she and Calum were chatting with, whispering to him the excuse of needing another drink. His eyes met her, and he let his concern show through. Josie just smiled back, giving his hand a squeeze, not wanting to worry him. She knew Calum always seemed to sense her sadness when it came to the shit that was going on with Luke, and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel guilty because of the strain between her and her brother. Just like he didn't want her to feel guilty about the strain between him and Luke.
As Josie waited for the bartender to make her a margarita, someone stepped up to her left, and she felt a sigh of relief when Sierra greeted her with a smile. "How're you doing?" the brunette asked, placing her hand on Josie's arm.
She let out a sigh, offering a small smile. "I'm good," Josie answered, despite feeling a sting at the lie. The close-mouthed smile on Sierra's face told Josie that she didn't quite believe her. Licking her lips, Josie asked, "How's Luke?"
Sierra let out a sigh, shifting so she was leaning against the bar with her hip, facing Josie. "Stubborn," she said quietly, twisting her lips to the side. Her dark eyes met Josie's blue, expression softening. "He'll come around, Josie."
"Will he?" Josie returned, thanking the bartender as the margarita was placed in front of her. She let out a deprecating scoff, not entirely believing Sierra's words. "It's been radio silence on his end, Sierra. I've given him space and it's not working. At this point, if I move out, I doubt he'll notice."
Sierra frowned as Josie took a sip of her drink, standing up straight. "You're moving out?" she questioned, giving a confused shake of her head. "Why?"
Josie licked her lips after swallowing the sip. A breeze tickled her skin, making the skirt of her dress dance a bit. The salt in the air mixed well with the salt on the rim of her glass. "I wasn't going to live with him forever," she shrugged. "I was always gonna move out. I just—I didn't think it'd be so soon. But with the way things are going, I think it'd be best if I found a place of my own quickly."
"So you're going to give him more distance so he can talk to you?" Sierra asked. "I don't think that's how that works, Josie. I mean," she looked away with a shake of her head, a short laugh escaping her. Josie realized that Sierra looked almost as frustrated as she felt. "Nothing's gonna get resolved if he doesn't talk to you. He keeps telling me that he'll get around to it, but he's just so fucking stubborn."
Josie smiled, almost sadly. So Luke knew he had to talk to her—he just didn't want to. "He ismy brother, after all."
"He's being dumb," Sierra sighed. "I wouldn't ever tell anyone how long they can take to process something or how long they can be angry about it, but he's your brother. "It's been, like, two weeks? This isn't some kind of problem that's going to go away. You and Calum are together and the sooner you guys clear the air with Luke, the better. I know he doesn't want to lose his friendship with Calum. It's just—it's so frustrating to see you all upset."
A-freaking-men.
It wasn't even fifteen minutes later, though, that Luke would finally break his silence.
Josie had just left the bathroom, walking down the wide hall that would ultimately lead her to the door back out onto the roof, only to stop when she saw her brother's large frame walking towards her. For a moment, Josie assumed he'd walk right past her, but was surprised when Luke stopped in front of her with a frown knitting together his eyebrows.
"Are you moving out?" he demanded, and Josie wondered if she was imagining the hurt that colored his tone.
She blinked up at him, not entirely expecting that. "What?"
"Sierra said you were looking for an apartment—so, what, you're gonna move out? Just like that?"
Despite the surprise of Luke talking to her, in addition as to why he was speaking to her in the first place, Josie wanted to laugh. "You know I was gonna move out eventually, Luke. Staying at your place was temporary."
He frowned, pressing his jaw together briefly. His fingers twitched and Josie knew he was itching to run them through his hair, which was slicked back, so he kept himself from doing so. Luke exhaled sharply through his nose before shrugging in question. "So, what? You're just gonna leave without word?"
That had Josie mirroring his frown, though hers was deeper and more surprised. "I—No, I wasn't," she stammered through a startled laugh. "I still have to find a place and I—I would've told you."
He raised his eyebrows, skeptical. The music was a bit muffled, the party outside continuing as the two of them stood alone in the hallway. "Really? You would've told me?" Luke scoffed, looking unconvinced. "Thought you picked up a habit of keeping things from me."
Josie's lips thinned, heart thudding in her chest as her expression fell. The bitterness in his voice hadn't gone unnoticed, and even in the dim lighting of the hall, she picked up on the flash of regret that appeared across his face. "We were going to tell you, Luke," Josie said quietly, carefully. Maybe they could finally talk, finally clear the air. "We just didn't know how. How can you blame us for that?"
"You're my sister. He's my best friend. You two broke my trust. Who else is gonna get blamed?" Luke retorted, sharp words making her flinch. Josie averted her gaze, dropping to her toes just barely peeking through from beneath the hem of her dress, biting the inside of her cheek. Blame, blame, blame. He let out a sigh, eyes closing as he raised his hand and rubbed it down his face. But before he could speak up once more, a new voice cut in through quiet of the hall.
"We're not gonna keep apologizing for our relationship, Luke." Josie's eyes widened slightly, Luke's broad shoulders stiffening. She looked past Luke as her brother turned around, hearing Calum's footsteps approach them. Josie kept her gaze on him as she walked past Luke, dark eyes still on him, as he came to stand next to Josie. She felt a sense of comfort with him now next to her, admiring eyes peering up at her boyfriend who stood confidently in front of her brother. "We're sorry we hurt you, man—we really are. You know it's the last thing we'd want to do—no matter how pissed you are at us, you know that's true. But we're not gonna apologize for our relationship."
Luke scoffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Yeah, you've made that clear," he said, tone dry.
Josie clenched her jaw, for the first time feeling anger rather than just guilt over hurting her brother. "What do you want us to do, Luke?" she demanded, surprised at the steadiness of her voice, catching his attention. "Do you want us to break up? Would that make things better? Will you stop being pissed off at us then?"
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Josie," Luke snapped, his glare returning as sharp blue eyes kept steady with hers. She stared right back, unwavering. "You think I don't want you two to be happy? That's not fucking it. I'm just afraid of the possibility of this thing between you two ending badly. I know both of you too well, know how you both deal with relationships. It's messy on its own—how's it supposed to work together?"
Josie gaped at him, lips parting as a disbelieving scoff escaped her. Frankly, she was insulted at Luke's words. Her guilt was melting into irritation, realizing that although Luke was valid in whatever he was feeling, that didn't give him the right to basically insult her and Calum. "So, what, just because I've had shitty relationships and Calum's barely been in any, we're automatically, what, not gonna last?"
Calum scoffed, looking just as bothered by Luke's words as she was. With an affronted scowl and shake of his head, he all but sneered, "That's a gross generalization, Luke. And an unfair one. You're worried about an end of a relationship that's barely even started, and even then, I'm gettin' the feeling you're more concerned about where it's gonna leave you than what it's gonna do to us." Josie noticed the hardening of Calum's voice, and knew that like her, he was growing angrier than upset, too. All of their emotions were heightened at this point, and Josie's hopes of having a civilized conversation seemed to be slipping away. Unsurprising, since she was contributing to it. "You called us selfish for getting together, but you're not too far off from it, either."
Her brother's eyes flashed, darkening in aggravation and insult, but Josie kept her lips pressed together. She'd be lying if she said she disagreed with Calum's words, knowing there was some truth in them. Josie saw both sides of this situation perfectly. She knew where she and Calum were coming from, of course; this wasn't just some fling between them. What they had... It was more real than any of Josie's previous relationships had been. Sure, they hadn't been together long, but she and Calum have known each other for years. They're familiar, friends, had a preexisting relationship that only developed further into the intimate one they had now. Her and Calum were new but established, and despite the secrets and sneaking around, they never felt wrong.
That being said, Josie didn't really fault Luke for his anger. His best friend and sister running around everyone's backs no doubt hurt—Josie would've felt the same way if the tables were turned. And although she couldn't speak from a genuine perspective, given that she wasn't in Luke's shoes, she liked to think she would've let go of some of her anger to actually see the relationship in front of her, to give them the benefit of the doubt. Was it too much to ask for Luke to do the same?
Apparently so, given that he was already dreading the end of her and Calum's relationship.
Josie's throat tightened, and her anger melted into sadness once more. Looking at Luke, she said, "You're so busy worrying about the side you'll have to take if Calum and I broke up that you won't even think about the possibility of not having to pick any sides at all." Josie shook her head, releasing a heavy sigh, though it did nothing to lessen the weight on her shoulders. "I know we hurt you, Lu. And we're sorry about it. But I'm tired of tying my relationship with Calum to constantly being worried about what you'll think."
She reached for Calum's hand, feeling calm when his fingers automatically laced with hers, catching the way Luke's eyes dropped to their joined hands. His expression softened, ever so slightly, and Josie swallowed the lump in her throat before her lips curled into a small, sad smile. Her voice, though, remained firm. "You're my brother and I love you, but I don't need your permission or approval to love someone else."
Josie barely registered Calum's grip on her hand tightening, her attention solely on her brother, whose forehead smoothed as understanding seemed to dawn on his features, blinking with parted lips. Her heart wasn't racing, much to her surprise, as a silence followed her words, disrupted only by the muffled sound of the party going on outside. She and Calum merely watched Luke, waiting for him to say something, wondering if he even would. Her brother merely gazed at her, looking surprised and taken aback, momentarily frozen where he stood.
And then he sighed, looking away briefly as he rolled his lips into his mouth and gave a shake of his head. His jaw clenched under his beard, shoulders dropping slightly. There was a spark of hope in Josie's chest when she noted the acceptance that seemed to creep across his features. Blue eyes on her and Calum, Luke said, "I'd never want you two to be... Not happy." He paused, huffing as he tried to find the right words to say. Josie and Calum waited patiently. "I can't apologize for being angry and hurt because I am—I was."
"We wouldn't want you to," Calum told him calmly, truthfully.
Luke looked at him, offering a small nod. "But I can apologize for how I've been acting and the shit I've said. You two—" He let out a breath and, for the first time in a while, offered them both a smile that had Josie's breath catching. "You're some of my best friends." Josie smiled when she noted the way Luke pointedly looked at Calum when he said that. "I never meant to be an ass and hurt you, just like I know you never meant to hurt me. I'm sorry."
"Us too," Calum returned quietly, jaw tight. "We shouldn't have pushed you and let you process everything at your own pace. We didn't mean to make things harder."
"We know you were only worried about us—about all of us," Josie chimed in sincerely, feeling the weight on her chest slowly lift. With a carefully playful smile, she added, "Just save it for if it ever happens."
"Which I don't think it will," Calum said right after, his tone confident and steady as he shot Josie a grin, one she couldn't help but return as he gave a squeeze of her hand.
Luke looked at them, letting out a light scoff before smiling wryly. Nevertheless, he agreed, "Yeah, I don't think so either." Josie grinned widely this time, blue eyes meeting his, before Luke smirked and pointed at Calum with a warning finger. "But if you break her heart, I'm still going to kick your ass."
Calum rolled his eyes, but grinned either way. No one mentioned how despite Luke's broadness and height, he couldn't really hurt anyone. Though, when it comes to his sister, who knew. Wanting to ease the nonexistent tension, Josie piped up, "What if I break his heart? You gonna kick my ass, too?"
Luke smirked, offering a nonchalant shrug. "No. I'll just tell Mom."
Next to her, Calum stifled a snicker while Josie gaped at her brother, who seemed all too proud by his threat. Flatly, Josie said, "That's fucked up."
This time, Calum did laugh, Luke joining in, before her brother said, "What's fucked up is you wanting to move out." His expression grew serious, eyebrows drawing together as he looked down at her. "You're not actually going to, are you?"
Josie's eyebrows raised, mildly surprised. "You want me to stay?"
Luke rolled his eyes, looking almost exasperated. "My home's your home, idiot. Of course I want you to stay."
She snorted. "That's so sweet." Despite her sarcasm, the relief that flooded through Josie was clear. It wasn't that she couldn't afford her own place or she was hesitant on living alone—she was just enjoying living with Luke. She hadn't seen her brother for years, save for the holidays and rare weekends, and living with him was a way to catch up on lost time. Josie definitely owed Sierra dinner and a few drinks for informing Luke of Josie's—now revoked—decision to move. It served as a catalyst for Luke to finally talk to her. She smiled then, genuinely. "Thanks, Luke."
He took a step towards her and Josie's body relaxed as Luke pulled her in for a hug, and she didn't realize how much she needed this until his towering frame wrapped around her own. She returned the embrace tightly, closing her eyes to revel in the warmth of her brother that had been absent for too long. Now it really did feel like a step forward in the right direction.
When they pulled away, Luke offered them both a smile and jutted his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll see you two out there," he said with a low chuckle before turning and walking down the hall towards the door leading to the rooftop.
Josie couldn't stop smiling as she watched her brother's retreating back, letting out a long breath once Luke was out of sight and turning to face Calum. Her boyfriend looked just as satisfied with that conversation as she felt, her giddiness returning in full swing, the weight on her shoulders gone the second Luke resolved things with them.
"I feel like I can breathe again," she said with an airy laugh, shaking her head in relief as she rubbed her hands down the sides of her thighs, smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress out in the process.
Calum looked at her, and Josie was confused at the amusement she saw settle on his features, tilting his head at her. When she raised her eyebrows in bewildered questioning, Calum let out a short chuckle with a shake of his head. "You didn't even realize what you said to Luke just a few minutes ago, did you?"
Josie blinked, looking away at nothing in particular to rattle her brain, wondering what Calum was talking about. To be honest, she'd wanted that conversation with Luke to be over as quickly as possible so they could reach to a point of being alright with each other again, which she had been desperate for. "Uh..." She trailed off, lips tilting downwards as she shook her head. "Not really?"
Briefly, she wondered if she should feel bad about not remembering whatever Calum did, eyeing him skeptically and worriedly. But he still looked amused, maybe even a little bit fond, with that boyish smirk tilting his lips as he took a step towards her. Josie kept her gaze locked with his, wondering where this was going. What had she said? "You told Luke," Calum spoke up with an inhale, body towering over hers, right hand reaching to gently grasp her left. "That you didn't need his permission to love someone else."
His words immediately rung a loud, alarming bell in Josie's head, her eyes widening slightly as her throat dried, remembering exactly what Calum was talking about. Her heart stopped for a moment as the familiar scent of Calum's cologne tickled her nose, but she was too busy realizing the magnitude of what she had said—and the unbridled truth behind it.
The world around her disappeared and Josie wasn't sure if she was more frustrated at the fact that she just so nonchalantly all but admitted the extent of her feelings for Calum, or the fact that she didn't even remember doing so. It had just slipped out in the heat of the moment, and Josie kind of hated that it did as a way of trying to persuade Luke into forgiving them. Her love for Calum, no matter how true it may be, wasn't meant to be used as some sort of ploy. She hoped to God Calum didn't think that's how she meant it.
When she met his gaze once more, her air in her lungs stilled, she still only found amusement and fondness in his eyes, with a warmth glazing over that had Josie letting out a breath. "I meant it." The words rushed out of her mouth quickly, though no less true. Calum raised his eyebrows subtly and she knew he was only teasing her, but she wasn't going to stop there. There was no point to. And she didn't feel nervous, which Josie realized as she let out a breath. There was no anxiety, no worry, and that made it all the more easy to finally tell him, "I love you."
Not for a second did Josie think it may be too soon to say those three no doubt significant words to Calum—it felt too right for it to be too soon. The two of them... They've known each other for so long, had been close long before that night in her dorm room, and it wasn't startling that her fond love for her friend so effortlessly developed into a wanting, accepting love for her boyfriend. Being with Calum was so easy; she didn't have to be someone else, didn't have to worry about anything—other than the whole situation with Luke, but even that was now resolved.
Calum made her feel wanted and safe and loved—more so than anyone else ever had. He did so when they were just friends, and even more now. How could she not be in love with him?
She peered up at him, confident and sure and unafraid, her heart fluttering in her chest as Calum's grin widened with a short laugh. He could probably feel the warmth of her cheeks as both of his hands reached up to cup her face, his touch soft as always, and Josie adored the crinkles that appeared by his brightened eyes. That smile of his—breathtaking as always. If Josie had any doubts, they disappeared as Calum responded, just as earnestly, "I love you, too."
Electricity coursed through her veins as Calum closed the gap between them, his kiss only emphasizing the sentiment he just proclaimed. Heat exploded across her skin and in her chest as she kissed him back, allowing Calum to back her up until her back was pressed against the wall and his front was wonderfully pressed into hers. The music playing in the distance was muffled, all of Josie's senses willingly being taken over by Calum. He kissed her deeply, earnestly, like it was the last time he would be able to do so, and her own hands were pressed against his chest, willing herself not to take the material of his shirt into her fist as to not cause any wrinkles.
Calum was smiling against her lips, her heart flipping because she couldn't help but smile in return, a foolishly giddy laugh bubbling past her throat. She wanted to stay right in that hallway with him, stay this close, but she knew they couldn't, no matter how badly she yearned to. "We should get back out there," Josie said breathlessly, tingling lips brushing against his as she spoke.
His hands slid down to her hips, but Calum didn't pause in pressing more kisses to Josie's lips. She'd have to reapply her lipstick, but she didn't care. Not when his lips were so soft and inviting. "No one'll miss us," Calum replied, his voice a low murmur that sent shivers down her spine.
She laughed gently, accepting his kisses briefly. "Tonight's about our friends," Josie reminded him, knowing that would get Calum to go back outside. Honestly, she'd rather stay right in this position, but she wasn't going to hide out from Michael and Crystal's engagement party—no matter how delicious her hiding space was.
"Fine, fine. You win," Calum grumbled, pulling away after pressing one last kiss. He looked down at her, a boyish smirk on his face. "Gotta fix your lipstick first."
She scoffed, her gaze going to his own mouth, noting the pinkish-nude tint that rubbed off on his lips. With a teasing laugh, she quipped, "I could say the same to you."
They walked out a few moments later after fixing themselves up, and Josie noticed with an awe-filled gasp the color of the sky. The sun was setting and the sky was painted in a gorgeous combination of purple, pink, and yellow, reflecting against the ocean that was in front of them. At one point, Josie found herself by the front railing, putting her phone away after taking some much needed pictures with her friends and of the sunset before admiring it.
The time to herself lasted only a few moments, not that she minded, because soon two people were flanking her side and Josie stood straight when she heard Ashton greet, "Hey, kid."
She grinned, glancing at the black haired man to her right. "You know you just make yourself sound old when you call me that."
Ashton rolled his eyes while Michael snickered before saying, "Looks like Luke and Cal made up."
His observation had the three of them turning around, backs against the railing, and Josie easily found the two men in question. They were by the bar, drinking and chatting animatedly, and it was almost comical how relieving the sight was for Josie. The two of them were talking as if nothing had changed, and Josie was grateful for it. "Yeah," she breathed out with a smile. "Everything's good now."
"Thank fuck," Michael praised with a shake of his head. "I couldn't take the tension anymore."
Josie scoffed, shooting the engaged man an unimpressed look. "You couldn't? I live with Luke."
Michael gave an acknowledging tilt of his head. "Yeah, wouldn't wanna be you."
"But everything's fine now," Ashton cut in swiftly in an attempt to appease Josie before she retorted at Michael's statement. "It was only a matter of time."
Both Michael and Josie hummed in agreement, and as she watched the party continue on in front of them, a realization dawned on Josie. She'd been so worried about her boyfriend and brother, she hadn't given much thought to the two other equally important friends that made up the boys' group. Josie felt a surge of guilt for being selfish, not sparing any consideration to how Michael and Ashton had been dealing with their two friends not on speaking terms. No doubt it was tense and awkward for them, unsure of whose side to be on, how to go about it.
"Hey—I'm sorry if things got weird for you guys, too," Josie spoke up. Apologies seemed to be going around today, she might as well deliver a sincere one to these two. Michael and Ashton both looked at her, confused. "Luke and Calum fighting couldn't have been something you could brush off. I'm sorry if you got, like, caught in the crossfire."
Realizing what she was talking about, Ashton scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "You got nothing to apologize for, Lil' H." Despite herself, Josie rolled her eyes at the nickname. She knew no matter her distaste, Ashton wouldn't stop calling her that—she could tell by the brief smirk he wore. "We knew those two would figure their shit out eventually."
"Yeah, and we were right," Michael shrugged, sipping his drink that Josie was just now realizing he had. "We're glad, though—especially for your sake. But if there's one thing Luke and Calum can agree on, it's how much they love you. So, you know, all's well that ends well."
His words had Josie's cheeks heating, which she found ridiculous. She and Calum had just told each other they loved each other only a few minutes ago, yet hearing it from others—from people who knew the two of them quite well—ignited a fire under her skin far out of her control. Josie couldn't lie, though. It was wonderfully thrilling.
Her gaze once again found Calum and in that moment, he looked towards her too, their eyes meeting despite the distance and people separating them. He paused in bringing his glass to his mouth, throwing a cheekily charming wink her way, and Josie grinned in response. Especially when Luke, noticing Calum's gesture, looked over his shoulder and his blue eyes found yours. He, in true older brother fashion, rolled his eyes and pretended to gag, which only had Calum shooting him an unimpressed look in response.
With a shake of her head, unwilling to calm down her excitedly racing heart, Josie shook her head and said to Michael, "Yeah, yeah. Tonight's not about us—it's about you and Crystal."
"Oh, for sure," Ashton agreed, and suddenly Josie was wary of the teasing glint in his hazel eyes. "But we all know which bridesmaid the best man's gonna be hooking up with."
Josie's cheeks flushed before her eyes widened, looking at Ashton before her gaze flashed to Michael. "Wait—I'm in the wedding party?"
The groom-to-be glared over her head at Ashton, and Josie knew the beans weren't supposed to be spilled quite yet. They were aware of Calum being Michael's best man, but Josie hadn't known about her own involvement in the bridal party. Sure, it wasn't too shocking, given her history with Michael, but still. It still took her by surprise in the best way. One look at Michael, though, told Josie she was supposed to find out in some other way instead of Ashton just crudely joking about it.
"Thanks a fucking lot, Ash. Crystal was gonna ask them all in her own way."
"Oh, fuck. Josie, pretend you didn't hear that."
Michael threw a hand up. "Like that's gonna fix it!"
They dissolved into a round of bickering, though Josie wasn't quite listening. Instead she just stood between them, an amused and happy smile on her face as their voices melted into the music that was playing. A breeze blew by, chilling her skin, but the sight of Calum and Luke still chatting away was warming enough. Michael had a point; if Josie really thought about it, no one had quite made her feel as loved as both Luke and Calum did, in their own ways. They were her favorite men, easily and truly. She would go so far as to say no one had ever loved her like Luke and Calum did, in the ways they did. And she was more than alright with it.